Cleaner for hand rakes



March 6, 1951 c, STEAPLETON 2,544,436

CLEANER FOR HAND RAKES Filed March 28, 1949 Inventor Hobart 6. SIeap/eton y arm paws; fi

Patsnted Mar. 6, 1951 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,544,436

' oLnA na non HiAND RAKES I Robert 0. Steapleton, Attalla, Ala. Application Marcli- 28, 1949, Serial No, 33,938

This invention relates to an improved hand rake and more particularly to a specially constructed cleaner strip for removing leaves from the rake teeth.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a cleaner strip slidably mounted on the rake teeth and including a simply and easily manipulated releasemeans for operating the strip when necessary.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rake including a cleaner strip attachment which is relatively simple in design and 1 construction and easy to assemble upon the rake, which includes a mounting means for the cleaner strip which so limits the sliding movement of the strip that the latter may not be readily injured when operated.

A further object of this invention is a cleaner strip attachment for a hand rake in which the release means is in the form of an elongated leaf spring which is attached to the handle and extends beyond the strip, which leaf spring normally urges the strip upwardly or in an inoperative position. By merely urging the leaf spring downwardly, the cleaner strip is caused to slide upon the teeth and disengage the leaves from the teeth.

These, together with various ancillary object and features of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved rake;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 22 of Figure 1, the handle and socket therefor being shown infelevation;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings. In the several views in the accompanying drawings and in the following specification similar reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout.

Indicated generally at H! is a handle received in the conventional socket 42 carried centrally of a laterally extending rake head l4 having spaced, depending pointed rake teeth It.

to provide caimi (o t 541-4 0-98 A pair of complementary plates l8 and are provided consistingoftransversely spaced, laterally extending arcuated or angulated portions 22 and 24 interconnected by transversely spaced web portions 26 and 28. Fastening means in the form of rivets 3|! extend through the web portions 26 and 28 to secure the complementary plates together and in assembled relationship so that the arcuate or angulated portions 22 and 24 loosely and slidably embrace each of the rake teeth l6, as shown clearly in Figure 4. The end portions 32 of the complementary plates are also secured together by means of rivets 34. It will be understood that the assembled complementary plates comprise the cleaner strip.

Adjacent the ends of the plates, eyes 36 are provided for receiving one end of link chains 38 which are in turn provided with enlarged eye members 40 which embrace the rake head 14. The chains constitute the means for mounting the cleaner strip on the rake head and a length of chain is selected so that the cleaner strip reaches the pointed end of the rake teeth 16 when the chains are completely extended. In this manner, the cleaner strip cannot leave the rake teeth preventing injury thereto and also making it un necessary for the operator to re-position the cleaner strip on the rake teeth.

The release means for the cleaner strip consists of an elongated leaf spring 42 which extends through aligned apertures 44 in a web portion of the complementary plates centrally thereof. One end of the leaf spring is provided with integral complementary jaw portions 45 having upstanding apertured lugs 48 for receiving screws or bolts 50 so that the leaf spring may be removably attached to the socket 42 or the handle 10. The leaf spring 42 normally urges the cleaner strip upwardly or towards an inoperative position as shown clearly in Figure 2.

In practical operation, after the cleaner strip has been properly assembled upon the rake and after the rake teeth have become clogged with accumulated leaves, the leaves can be removed from the rake teeth by merely urging the free end of the leaf spring downwardly. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, for example, the operator may step downwardly on the free end of the leaf spring, or the rake may be held in a vertical position and the free end of the leaf spring may be stroked by hand.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this o art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is,;

A rake cleaner comprising a pair of 601111918, mentary plates having longitudinally spaced, opposed arcuate portions adapted to loosely embrace; rake teeth, means for fastening said plates, to,- gether between said arcuate portions, mounting chains secured at one of their ends, .01 aidplates, and carrying eyes at their other end adapted to receive a rake head, and a release means forsaiel'- plates,'said release means including anelpngated;

leaf spring having one; end extending through 20 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name, Date 430,177 Ellist et a1. June 17, 1890 554,722 Payton Feb. 18, 1896 5,528,599, Aubeuf Feb. 8, 1898 1,112,787 Glover Oct. 6, 1914 1,155,174, Ubelaker Sept. 28, 1915 1,264,750 Bacho Apr. 30, 1918 1,958,757 Klinger May 15, 1934 2,009,584; Snyder July 30, 1935 

